WORK IN MOSUL

importation of plague from the south, unless the
most stringent precautions are taken.

The Bedouin Arab can rarely be persuaded to
stop in the city ; after the freedom of life in the
desert, he feels stifled within the four walls of a
house. Ere leaving Mosul I had a curious demon-
stration of this fact. An old blind Arab was
brought to me by his son, suffering from double
cataract. I told him that by means of a simple
operation he might once again be able to see, but
that he would have to stay in the hospital for a few
days, He indignantly refused, saying he would
rather remain blind the rest of his life than sleep
beneath a roof. In vain did his son plead with him,
and finding that I would not operate at once and
allow him to be treated as an out-patient, the old
man went sorrowfully away.

Every in-patient admitted had to bring a friend
to help to nurse him, as we had no proper hospital
equipment and no trained nurse. Only twice in the
three years did I break this rule, both times with
disastrous results. The first was a poor old man
from a village some days' journey from Mosul. He
was poor and friendless, also blind with " cataract";
reluctantly I allowed myself to be influenced by his
pathetic pleadings, and admitted him without any
one to look after him. Prior to his admission he
had been bitten on the calf of one leg by a dog, and
complaining of pain from this wound, we dressed it
with a simple boracic fomentation. Unfortunately
this dressing was forgotten and left on the leg. The
eye was in due course operated upon successfully,
and the patient received the usual strict injunction